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McCue had been criticised by a sizeable minority of shareholders over the group's £559 million takeover of Wagmama last year.

He said the company has "achieved much in a challenging market" in recent years but that the group is "well positioned with the scale, talent and levers to drive profitable growth".

"While I recognise that this decision is untimely, it is the right one for me and my family. We have a strong team in the business and a clear plan which we are focused on delivering."

Chairwoman Debbie Hewitt said: "Whilst we are clearly disappointed that he will not be able to provide the long-term leadership for the business, we understand and respect the decision he has made purely on personal grounds."

The Wagamama deal was announced last October at an increasingly challenging time for the eating-out sector, which is suffering from a slowdown in consumer spending.

Although the acquisition was approved by Restaurant Group investors, there was a significant level of opposition as just under 61% of shareholders supported the deal.